Stockard Channing in Six Degrees of Separation- Page 1

[EvanstonDad]

Posted: 4/1/19 at 9:41am

I was reading something about the 1993 Academy Awards when Stockard Channing was nominated for recreating her role in Six Degrees of Separation. The article referred to her stage performance in that play as "the stuff of legend." I'm wondering if anyone saw her in that play or has more insight into how accurate that statement is. Is it an exaggeration or was she really that good? I like her as an actress but I've never heard that particular role or her performance mentioned along with some of the greats.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 4/1/19 at 10:22am

The role fitted her like a silk glove.

The night I saw the show, a theatre lantern blew during one of her big monologues.  Glass powder snowed down onto her.  Without skipping a beat she casually dusted of her outfit and continued perfectly.

It was a gripping production and extremely strong ensemble.

[goodlead]

Posted: 4/1/19 at 11:26am

I saw that production -- superb in every respect.  Fortunately Channing was cast in the movie version, and if you want to know whether it's legendary, you can watch it and judge for yourself.

[Thommg2]

Posted: 4/1/19 at 11:33am

While I am glad she got to do the role in the movie version, for my money, she was better on stage. It was truly a legendary performance. There was something about the way she connected to the audience as she was narrating the story that drew you in and you felt as though you were alone with her and she was your best friend. The last revival, with all the cuts to the script, didn't allow Allison Janney to come close to Channing's performance.  

[daredevil]

Posted: 4/1/19 at 11:43am

I saw her perform in the first production four times. Each time her performance was a little different. What I liked about it was that at the beginning of the play, she seemed like your typical upper east side middle aged matron. But as the play moved on, and her involvement with Paul built, she seemed to get younger and younger and regain almost a kind of teen age innocence. At the play's  final moment, as she stood silent on the stage, her hair down, to me she seemed  like a young girl going on her first date. That is what made her performance unique .

[LarryD2]

Posted: 4/1/19 at 11:43am

Her performance remains one of the highlights of my theater-going life. It's difficult to describe what made her work so unique and distinctive, except to say (as others already have) that the role suited her absolutely beautifully and she entirely disappeared into the character.

Courtney B. Vance, too, was astonishing as part of the original Broadway cast.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/1/19 at 2:12pm

    









 

[EthelMae]

Posted: 4/1/19 at 2:36pm

Yes, let me echo others here, she was sublime in that role. An actress and a play just met and it was just so right together. The recent revival, which closed earlier than the original limited engagement date, was such a let down. Maybe the play didn't travel well through the years but also without Stockard Channing, it was slow to sit through. Just checked- I thought she won the Tony for Six Degrees but Mercedes Ruehl won for Lost in Yonkers.

Channing was just as incredible in JOE EGG years ago. And she did win the Tony for that.

But she was miscast in The Rink. So it's just that thing that no one can really explain- why an actor is right for a role or just so not right.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 4/1/19 at 3:07pm

What I remember from the original Six Degrees was that it felt like a torrent of words coming at us from the first lights up that the cast rode like a roller coaster, masterfully negotiating the ascents and drops. As an audience member, I was on the edge of my seat the whole night following the tale. It was exhilarating and heartbreaking, and though Stockard Channing was dazzlingly in command, she was met note for note by a fantastic cast. I remember the college kids in the company being as thrilling as the "grownups". A great night, that no amount of movie razzmatazz could honestly capture.

[EvanstonDad]

Posted: 4/1/19 at 5:47pm

These responses have all been fascinating, thanks! I was pleasantly surprised to find so many people on these boards who saw the original Broadway production. The article I was reading was about what a great year the 1993 Oscars were for Best Actress. Holly Hunter dominated all of the awards that year for The Piano (rightly so), but any one of the Best Actress nominees would have been a deserving winner in a different year. I've not seen the film version of Six Degrees of Separation, but my sense is that the movie overall wasn't particularly well received, or at least not as much as the stage version, even if Channing's performance in it was.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/1/19 at 6:06pm

EvanstonDad said: "These responses have all been fascinating, thanks! I was pleasantly surprised to find so many people on these boards who saw the original Broadway production. The article I was reading was about what a great year the 1993 Oscars were for Best Actress. Holly Hunter dominated all of the awards that year for The Piano (rightly so), but any one of the Best Actress nominees would have been a deserving winner in a different year. I've not seen the film version of Six Degrees of Separation, but my sense is that the movie overall wasn't particularly well received, or at least not as much as the stage version, even if Channing's performance in it was."

I agree with all the positive statements previously made; she was incandescent.  I always assumed that Ruehl (who I also thought was great in a totally different role in Yonkers) won because of two key reasons: (1) she was the lead in the show that won Neil Simon the Pulitzer Prize (and which won two other acting Tony's); and (2) she had a much showier role, in the vein of a Come Back Little Sheba or The Rose Tattoo role.  She was all over the stage, crying, shouting, redefining warmth with (her nephews?).

Interestingly, both movies opened in the same year (1993) and it was Channing who was nominated and not Ruehl.  While neither movie's acclaim lived up to the stage success, 6 Degrees received much better reviews. Re Yonkers,  which was at best a mediocre movie, I think that people probably wondered whether their initial praise for the play was unjustified (I loved it), but the real issue was that the direction was flat, and Ruehl didn't moderate her performance (IMO).  It was still a 'stage performance', and came across to me as overacting.  NOTE: Irene Worth, who was terrific in the show, just didn't make an impression in the movie

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/1/19 at 6:09pm

Very interesting for me to read this thread, having only been exposed to the play through the recent Broadway revival. Because while it’s obviously a juicy role, and while I thought Allison Janney did a perfectly good job with it, it never occurred to me that it was the sort of role that could draw this much praise and attention - no matter who was playing it. But that just goes to show how truly amazing she must have been! And how disappointing the revival must have been by comparison for those who saw the original. 

Updated On: 4/1/19 at 06:09 PM

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 4/1/19 at 7:31pm

I saw her in the production and she was remarkable. It's funny that, today, maybe we're only separated by two or three degrees of separation.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 4/1/19 at 11:54pm

That last revival needed Cate Blanchett or Christine Baranski. Or (a pipedream) Jan Maxwell.

[A Director]

Posted: 4/2/19 at 1:16am

Lost in Yonkers won the Pulitzer; it  should have gone to Six Degrees of Separation.

[bear88]

Posted: 4/2/19 at 3:09am

This was the first show I saw on my first trip to New York City, pre-Broadway. We picked up tickets at the TKTS booth, headed over to Lincoln Center that evening, and yes, Channing was terrific. I remember debating whether to see the revival and deciding against it, in part because the reviews were tepid and in part because I wondered how well it would age. But I also thought it just wouldn't have the impact on me without Channing. 

I don't remember everything about Channing's performance, just that it was a wonderful example of how a talented actor can command a stage and take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster. 

[The Other One]

Posted: 4/2/19 at 6:34am

The play originally opened for a limited off-Broadway engagement at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater and was such an instant sensation that it moved upstairs to the Vivian Beaumont as soon as the initial sold-out run ended.  James McDaniel, who can be seen two photos south of the Playbill in BrodyFosse123's post above, played Paul but was unable to move upstairs to Broadway when the play transferred due to a prior television commitment.  Courtney Vance, who'd made such an impression in Fences, replaced him, but I believe the rest of the cast was the same.  Stockard, who incredibly was a last-minute replacement for Blythe Danner after she bailed during rehearsals, had a film commitment as well and was replaced for several weeks by Swoosie Kurtz.  Kelly Bishop, a terrific part of the original cast as Kitty, played the role several times as well.  Incredibly, I know a few people who preferred Kelly.  I add this only to say that the play itself is a striking piece and was not entirely made by Channing.

I saw the play twice, once at the Newhouse and once at the Beaumont, and I second everyone's impressions and memories of Channing's beautifully nuanced performance.  I have never seen an actor allow themself to go on such a journey in such a short time.  She peeled away her own defenses, and her final moments in the play were heartbreaking.  

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 4/2/19 at 6:50am

I agree with everyone about Stockard’a performance. It’s one of her best. I do have a question though about the Newhouse v Beaumont. If a show plays the Newhouse it’s considered Off Broadway and of it plays the Beaumont it’s considered Broadway but the theaters are housed within the same building...how does that work?

[The Other One]

Posted: 4/2/19 at 8:11am

I believe a theater with under 500 seats is an off-Broadway house and one with over 500 seats is a Broadway house, no matter where they are actually located.  (It's always so good to see that Avatar, Carlos Alberto.)

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/2/19 at 8:19am

@Carlos and The Other One

Being a Broadway theatre isn’t about location (though they do have to be in Manhattan I believe). Nor is it entirely about seating capacity, contrary to popular belief. It’s true that no theatre under 500 seats can be a Broadway house, but it also has to do with contracts, and other logistical requirements to become an “official” Broadway house.

Lots of venues with over 500 seats are NOT considered Broadway houses (City Center, The Beacon, Radio City, Carnegie Hall, all the other theatres at Lincoln Center).

[LarryD2]

Posted: 4/2/19 at 8:49am

The Other One said: "The play originally opened for a limited off-Broadway engagement at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater and was such an instant sensation that it moved upstairs to the Vivian Beaumont as soon as the initial sold-out run ended. James McDaniel, who can be seen two photos south of the Playbill in BrodyFosse123's post above, played Paul but was unable to move upstairs to Broadway when the play transferred due to a prior television commitment. Courtney Vance, who'd made such an impression in Fences, replaced him, but I believe the rest of the cast was the same. Stockard, who incredibly was a last-minute replacement for Blythe Danner after she bailed during rehearsals, had a film commitment as well and was replaced for several weeks by Swoosie Kurtz. Kelly Bishop, a terrific part of the original cast as Kitty, played the role several times as well. Incredibly, Iknow a few people who preferred Kelly. I add this only to say that the play itself is a striking piece and was not entirely made by Channing.

I saw the play twice, once at the Newhouse and once at the Beaumont, and I second everyone's impressions and memories of Channing's beautifully nuanced performance. I have never seen an actor allow themself to go on such a journey in such a short time. She peeled away her own defenses, and her final moments in the play were heartbreaking."

The television commitment that kept McDaniel from originating the role at the Beaumont was the infamous, ill-fated COP ROCK. Vance actually went into the show while it was still at the Newhouse, so he had already been playing it for a little while by the time it transferred.

Kelly Bishop understudied Ouisa from the beginning and played the role at several points during the Off-Broadway and Broadway runs. She actually did a significant chunk of the Broadway run (August - December 1991), with Channing coming back for the final month of the run. Kurtz only did the part at the Newhouse, because the run was extended so many times that it interfered with Channing's other commitments.

There was also a pretty successful US tour featuring Marlo Thomas as Ouisa.

[NYCblurb]

Posted: 4/2/19 at 8:54am

That production, and SC's performance remains one of the brightest spots of my theater life. It was long before social media you know, so the word of mouth was from actual mouths making words... The whole production, the staging, cast, sublime. I will say that in this season, Ferryman gave me a similar end response - where I found myself almost without thought rushing to my feet, clapping with tears running down my face in awe and joy. Stockard took my breath away on the stage. Every movement, unspoken thought, divine. Courtney B. Vance was so good but I think my fave of that history on stage I caught was Adrian Lester in the West End production. Also, when I saw it there with Vance, I got sick and halfway through. 

Stockard took it from Lincoln Center to Broadway to the West End as I remember. 

I don't remember how the Lincoln Center production wasn't part of the "Broadway" run until it transferred to the Beaumont. How and when did that change? 
 

[LarryD2]

Posted: 4/2/19 at 9:00am

NYCblurb said: "I don't remember how the Lincoln Center production wasn't part of the "Broadway" run until it transferred to the Beaumont. How and when did that change?
"

I'm not sure what you mean by this. The play opened at LC's Off-Broadway space, the Mitzi Newhouse, which isn't a Broadway theater. (As someone else already pointed out, Broadway designation has to do with seating capacity among other factors). It became a Broadway production when it moved into a Broadway-sized house, which is the Beaumont in this case.

 

[bdboston]

Posted: 4/2/19 at 9:21am

I'm glad someone mentioned Marlo Thomas on the tour. I caught "Six Degrees" when it played the Shubert here in Boston. The Ouisa role was well-suited for Thomas. How great was it when plays toured as often as they did. I remember another great LCT touring production of "The Sisters Rosensweig" with Mariette Hartley. Those were the days.

[markypoo]

Posted: 4/2/19 at 9:24am

And Marlo Thomas was excellent - and looked like a million bucks - in the Chicago production at the long-gone Ivanhoe Theatre.